A Humane Education Curriculum For Grades K–5
Mow Wow Animals is an online learning program in humane education.
Mow Wow Animals is an online learning program in humane education.
The Mow Wow Animals online teaching program recognizes the natural affinity that children have for animals. It is designed to activate students’ imagination as they learn about animals and the world around them and to encourage values of respect and compassion. The bilingual K–5, lessons are infused with stories from world cultures, poetry, short videos, and hands-on enrichment activities.
Americans have long recognized the need for kindness toward animals. In acknowledgment of this need, the California Department of Education has included in its Education Code a requirement that students be taught to view animals with compassion and to grant them the same dignity they would human beings. Section 233.5(a) of the code reads in part:
Each teacher shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of the pupils the principles of morality, truth, justice, patriotism, and a true comprehension of the rights, duties, and dignity of American citizenship, and the meaning of equality and human dignity, including the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward domestic pets and the humane treatment of living creatures.
This farsighted code regards the humane treatment of animals as one aspect of the broader ethic of good citizenship—the responsibility of each of us toward others who live in our society, including the animals with whom we share our environment. The code also understands that when we fail to treat animals kindly and responsibly, we undermine not only their rights as living creatures but our own dignity as human beings.
Many children gain emotional support and develop empathy from a connection with an animal who loves them unconditionally.
Yvonne Gavre / Founding Director, Buen Dia Family School, San Francisco
I commend and support PAHS’ humane initiatives… they have opened a dialogue and path of action for a kinder society.
California Assemblymember Kevin Mullin / Twenty-Second District, San Mateo
To get started, click on the level below that fits your grade level:
The Mow Wow Animals humane education curriculum is divided into two grade levels. Each level contains three distinct units. The unit lesson can be used as an independent teaching tool or used to enhance existing curriculum. Lessons can be taught in a single class period, over several days, or in five- to 10-minute increments.
Each unit contains:
included media:
Mow Wow is California Standards Compliant.
Mow Wow Animals was created by Carole Hyde with support from Palo Alto Humane Society. Lesson content by Teri Baldini, Leonor Delgado, Pamela Holway, Carole Hyde, Elliot Soper, and Susan Weisberg. Creative consulting by Susanna Michaels. Translations by Leonor Delgado. Illustrations by Briscoe Pelkey.
from Palo Alto Humane Society